


Behave Maturely

by WhiteBAG



Category: Phineas and Ferb
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Angst, Art, Awkwardness, Best Friends, Bisexuality, Butterfly Effect, Canon Related, Character Development, Character Study, Childhood Friends, Childhood Trauma, Complicated Relationships, Confessions, Crushes, Crying, Demisexuality, Developing Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Falling In Love, Family, Feelings, Fix-It, Flirting, Foreshadowing, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gen, Happy Ending, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Illustrations, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Kissing, Love, M/M, Making Out, Manipulation, Nostalgia, Plot, Post Season/Series, Post-Break Up, Post-Canon, Post-Episode: s04e47 Act Your Age, Sharing a Bed, The Gang is 20 Years Old, i LOVE those characters and thats why im roasting them, this is Character Study fic first and ship fic second i promise asdfghjkl
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:28:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26445625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhiteBAG/pseuds/WhiteBAG
Summary: Phineas and the gang act their age. But for real this time.***Are you an adult who grew up with Phineas and Ferb? Have you disliked anything about Act Your Age? Do you LOVE the show to bits but you're not afraid of looking at it more critically? Do you want some new hot takes from a seasoned veteran who has been in this fandom since 2007? If you answered "yes" to any of those questions, then this fic is for you.Rated M for mature themes such as childhood trauma, abuse and sexual attraction. But don't worry, nothing explicit happens, it's still Phineas and Ferb y'all.All illustrations were done by me. Hope you enjoy! <3
Relationships: Baljeet Tjinder & Buford Van Stomm & Isabella Garcia-Shapiro, Baljeet Tjinder & Buford van Stomm, Baljeet Tjinder/Buford van Stomm, Bujeet and Phinabella are being discussed, Candace Flynn/Jeremy Johnson, Ferb Fletcher & Phineas Flynn, Ferbnessa and Canderemy are mostly in the background, Isabella Garcia-Shapiro & Amanda Johnson, Isabella Garcia-Shapiro & Buford van Stomm, Isabella Garcia-Shapiro/Buford van Stomm, Phineas Flynn & Baljeet Tjinder, Phineas Flynn & Ferb Fletcher & Isabella Garcia-Shapiro & Baljeet Tjinder & Buford Van Stomm, Phineas Flynn & Isabella Garcia-Shapiro, Phineas Flynn/Baljeet Tjinder, Phineas Flynn/Isabella Garcia-Shapiro, Vanessa Doofenshmirtz/Ferb Fletcher
Comments: 29
Kudos: 91





	1. Things Change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shotout to my friends Noddy (@hulitherium) and Koral (@koralthedad) who helped me coming up with a few scenes for the fic, you guys are the best <3

Phineas was sitting under his tree, alone, his expression absent. Baljeet watched him from afar, before taking a deep breath and approaching him slowly.

"Hi, Phineas," he said, smiling kind of sheepishly. “Whatcha doin’?” he asked before he frowned, regretting it immediately. “Sorry. That was… probably in poor taste,” he said, grateful for the fact that Ferb wasn’t here - he probably hasn’t returned from England yet. This made things a little less awkward, as what Baljeet came here for was of delicate matter. "I... wondered if you would be alone."

"Hi, Baljeet," Phineas’ smile was weak and forlorn.

Baljeet stood before him in silence. Back home, this seemed like a good idea, but now that he came here, he began having second thoughts.

"So!" he looked everywhere, except at Phineas. "How was... your first year at college?"

"I broke up with Isabella."

"Ah," Baljeet breathed and finally looked at him. "So I have heard."

Baljeet caught up with Isabella briefly, earlier this morning via phone call, and she wasn’t eager to explain the situation further. And judging from Phineas’ face, he wasn’t either - he glanced away and said nothing.

"Do you..." Baljeet played with his fingers, feeling more awkward with each passing second. "Want to talk about it?"

He stared at Phineas, waiting for an answer. Uncharacteristically for him, he seemed small and somewhat disoriented. A few moments of silence passed before he let out a quiet chuckle.

“Not really,” he answered, standing up. “I think I’d rather take a walk.”

“Are you... sure?” Baljeet asked, carefully.

“Yes. Yes I am. Wanna go with me?” Phineas tried to mask his current feelings with a smile.

“Uh… Sure,” Baljeet shrugged and followed suit.

They walked through the neighbourhood, in almost complete silence, both deep in their thoughts. Baljeet was expecting Phineas to feel bad, yes, but not _this_ bad. His friend experiencing a low wasn’t impossible, but it was still rather rare to see him like this, especially at the beginning of summer.

“Wait…” Phineas voiced, as they approached downtown. “Where’s the Better Panda Restaurant?”

“Oh, right,” Baljeet said. “As you can see, they replaced it with another hardware store.”

“Gosh, I… Normally I would be glad about the new hardware store, but… We lost the panda restaurant!”

“Yes, well… Things have changed while you were out of town.”

“I see,” Phineas pondered. “Do we still have the Corner Cafe?”

“I think it is still around.”

After another, mostly silent walk, they entered the cafe, ordered cappuccino and continued their silence at one of the tables.

In any other situation, Baljeet would be glad to be here, drinking coffee alone with his best friend, enjoying each other’s company. They never had any problems with finding a subject to talk about - but the moment just simply didn’t feel right with Phineas’ absent expression and a dark cloud above his head.

Finally, Phineas decided he couldn’t take the silence anymore.

“So!” he said, forcing himself to smile once more. “Another summer, huh? Do you have any plans? Or will you be busy grading your students’ papers?”

“Phineas,” Baljeet observed his friend’s features. “You look depressed.”

“Things sure have changed around Danville, huh?” he tried to ignore his comment.

“I broke up with Ginger soon after you left for Tri-State State,” Baljeet confessed, trying to get to the point. “So I know what you are going through. Break-ups can be hard.”

Phineas blinked, finally looking straight at him.

“You broke up with Ginger?” he repeated. “At the beginning of the school year? I didn’t know! Why didn’t anyone tell me?”

“I am telling you now,” Baljeet, started playing with the spoon. “It was not a big deal, really. And I did not want to bother you, you were out of town.”

“Well, gosh, I’m… I’m sorry to hear it.”

“Unnecessarily,” Baljeet assured him. “I think we are both happier now. It was a very manipulative relationship, and it took me a while to realize just how bad it was. So we ended it, before it turned into something far worse,” his statement was followed by a bit of silence. A small wrinkle appeared between his thick eyebrows. “Besides, Ginger was weirdly possessive? Every time I mentioned my childhood friend, Mishti, she would get really jealous, even though I never even dated Mishti, not for real. And besides all that, Mishti lives on the other side of the globe! How could Ginger be so jealous of that, it makes no sense!” Baljeet looked like he was keeping this all to himself for quite some time, and he was glad to let it out, at last. “Things were _weird_. Anyway, I am better off alone.”

“You’re not dating anyone?”

“I do not. But do not worry about me, I am a professor, I keep myself busy. Those papers will not grade themselves!”

“Well, if you say so…”

“But enough about me,” Baljeet set the spoon aside. “Tell me, what exactly happened between you and Isabella?”

He shifted his entire attention to Phineas, waiting for details. His friend tensed up, carefully avoiding eye contact.

“I’d rather not talk about it,” Phineas frowned.

“Aw come on, just-”

“I’m really not in the mood, Baljeet.”

“But Phineas-”

“We are guys. We don’t talk about feelings, remember?” he cut him off angrily, throwing some coins at the table, and leaving the cafe.

It sounded cold, coming from Phineas. But Phineas could definitely get cold when he was upset about something.

And then Baljeet remembered those were his own words - Phineas quoted something Baljeet said a few months ago. Something that made sense to him back then, but now, hearing it out loud?

Baljeet cringed and groaned in frustration, but he knew he wouldn’t just give up.

He had to find out what went wrong between Phineas and Isabella. And he had to get them back together.

He had to.


	2. Timelines

Isabella was in her mother’s restaurant, hard at work with a frown on her face, lost deep in her thoughts.

She just took an order from a lovely older couple, when she overheard a piece of their conversation as she was already moving on to another table.

“I was only saying that groundhog-daying is a very specific form of time travel that I wish we knew about more. I wasn’t implying we should try it out on ourselves, I’m not that crazy.”

“Vinnie, I thought we agreed to not talk about... that... in public.”

“Oh, please, as if anyone could ever figure out we were time travellers.”

“Vinnie!”

Isabella’s ears perked up, and she peeked behind her shoulder, sneakily. No, wait, she shouldn’t eavesdrop, that would be rude. She snapped out of it quickly and returned to work, but she kept glancing at the couple who seemed to talk about something else now. But she knew what she heard - and she knew she wasn’t crazy because she was perfectly aware that time travel was possible.

When their order was ready, Isabella came back to their table, deciding on striking a friendly conversation.

“Excuse me…” Isabella said, as she served them tea and set the tray to her side. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop but… Are you sirs time travellers?”

The man in an olive suit gave his partner an angry look.

“Retired ones,” answered the other guy, wearing a tracksuit.

“Right,” Isabella hesitated before she grabbed a chair and sat down at their table. “I’m very sorry but can I ask you a question? I completely understand if you don’t want to talk with a stranger.”

“Well, actually-” the man in the suit started, before suddenly flinching. “Oh, fine, just make it quick,” another flinch. “Vinnie, stop kicking m-” he mumbled through clenched teeth.

“Excuse my partner. Balthazar is having a bad day. What’s your question?” Vinnie asked with a slight smile. “Is it about how the future looks like? Do you want to know if there are flying cars?”

“Well… not quite, you see… About ten years ago I travelled to the future myself.”

“Oh,” Vinnie looked surprised but then nodded his head. “I see where this is going.”

“I haven’t actually met my grown-up self but… well, without over-complicating things, I was led to believe that I was going to marry my best friend (or his brother). And for years I was holding onto that but… not so long ago my best friend… broke up with me.”

Isabella sat there, teary-eyed, staring in the nothingness for a second, before she closed her eyes and started giggling. Vinnie exchanged looks with his partner.

“I’m sorry,” she rubbed her eyes. “I’m making a fool of myself in front of complete strangers! It’s obvious that no one wants to listen to this! I’m sorry, I’m gonna go.”

“No, no, please finish your story,” Vinnie said. “Things like that happen, you know.”

“Oh, really, Vinnie?” Balthazar shook his head. “Do they really happen? Do they? Ouch,” Vinnie must have kicked him under the table again.

“It’s just…” Isabella sniffed. “I know what I saw in the future. But I can’t help but think that... what I saw when I was a girl just isn’t... relevant anymore. Is that possible?”

“Yes, it is,” Vinnie nodded. “It’s been what, ten years, you said? I’m sure the status quo couldn’t stay the same for all those years. The more things change, the more different the future is gonna look. I’m sure the future you saw was a reflection of how it would look like if the status quo remained the same for ten years. But that’s just impossible.”

“So is it… possible to go back in time and try to change-”

“It is possible. But it’s a terrible idea, for reasons you don’t understand,” he said, playing with a white streak in his hair. “Just trust me on this.”

“I just… can’t stop thinking about what I did wrong…”

“Who said you did something wrong?” Balthazar asked, sipping his tea. He swallowed and continued, before Isabella could answer. “Who said  _ anyone  _ did anything wrong?”

“Well… It is wrong. It’s not the future I saw!”

“It’s not wrong. It’s just different,” Balthazar set the cup on the table. “Going back in time and searching through those ten years, looking for all the specific events that changed the future just isn’t possible. You have no way of knowing which butterfly caused which tornado,” he looked at her. “Maybe it’s not the same timeline you saw. But the current one isn’t wrong. It’s just yours.”

“What my husband is trying to say, is that you should be able to find your happiness, even if being with your best friend isn’t possible anymore,” added Vinnie.

“But… I can’t imagine my future without him!” Isabella shook her head.

“He can still be in your life, if you really are friends,” Balthazar spoke.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I know it’s hard. But the thought that you can  _ only  _ be happy in that  _ one  _ timeline you saw is rather depressing. And untrue.”

“I’m sorry for what happened to you,” Vinnie said. “Time travel can really mess with your head if you’re not prepared. I hope you can find your happiness soon,” he took the last sip and smiled. “We would like to pay for our tea now. Thank you for a lovely company.”

* * *

Isabella kept thinking about this meeting for the rest of the day. Moving on seemed like a solid advice, but… she wasn’t fully convinced it was something she should do.

As the sun started going down, she left the restaurant and headed home. Suddenly she heard a catchy tune coming from her pink shoulder bag as her phone rang. She noticed Buford’s number and hesitated for a moment before picking up.

“Hello?”

“Isabella?” she heard his unsure voice, as if he was surprised she answered his call.

“Hi, Buford.”

“Isabella!” he repeated, more cheerful this time. “It’s been so long, how are ya?”

She would be lying if she said she wasn’t happy to hear his voice too. It really has been so long.

“I came back home recently,” she said.

“Yeah, so did Jeet tell me.”

“But I haven’t had time to catch up with everyone properly yet. Busy.”

“Whaddaya mean busy, it’s summer!”

“I just finished work-”

“Tell ya what, see me in an hour and tell me all about your troubles, I have cold lemonade in the fridge and salty pretzels in the cupboard. Also, I need your help with something,” he admitted, “but that’s minor.”

“Well… I suppose I could find some free time to help an old friend-”

“Yeah, yeah, sure, see ya in my studio,” he said before hanging up.

Isabella looked at the phone, blinking.

“... Studio?”


	3. Difficult Truth

Phineas was lying on his bed, alone in his room. He felt bad with how he treated Baljeet back at the cafe.

Yes, he was upset. But it wasn’t his intention to drive away even more people. Especially people who were insanely important to him. He had to apologize.

He pulled out his phone and picked Baljeet’s number. He didn’t have to wait long for his friend to respond.

“I’m sorry,” was the first thing Phineas said. “Maybe I do want to talk about feelings,” a beat of silence followed his statement. “... As long as you’re okay with it.”

“... My place in an hour?” Baljeet suggested.

* * *

Phineas entered Baljeet’s apartment. His living room was small, but cozy, with bookshelves covering almost every wall, making it look as if Baljeet lived in a library. Every piece of furniture looked comfortable and clean, including the keyboard standing under the windowsill decorated with potted plants.

“I was in the middle of watching Space Adventure,” Baljeet admitted, leading him to the couch. “I… made some popcorn after you said you were coming. Care to join?” he asked, unsure.

Phineas gave him a grateful smile.

In the next moment, they were sitting on the couch, watching their favorite TV show. And not much time has passed before they started info-dumping each other, praising the show’s writing, special effects and general impact the show had on the sci-fi genre. Phineas was sure that if he ever built a machine storing the energy they were both creating, it could power up the entire Danville.

A few hours passed, before Baljeet set the bowl with popcorn aside, in the break between the episodes. Phineas perceived this as his cue to talk.

“Baljeet,” he voiced with a nervous grin. “I don’t think I made the right choice.”

"Do elaborate."

“Isabella is, and always will be, one of my best friends. And I feel like I have made a mistake by breaking up with her. What if I ruined our friendship forever?”

"Well, why  _ did  _ you break up with her?"

Phineas glanced at his knees, looking lost. He still didn’t feel comfortable talking about this - it was difficult and scary and he was afraid Baljeet just wouldn’t understand. And Baljeet had a feeling that it was his fault his friend felt this way.

“Phineas,” Baljeet sighed. “I am sorry for ever telling you that guys do not talk about their feelings. Toxic masculinity sometimes gets into my head and makes me say dumb things. I suspect these thoughts are the leftovers of my past relationship with Buford,” he said, reflecting on when he was dating him in high school. “We did not have the healthiest of relationships, and the longer it lasted, the more we enjoyed seeing each other getting hurt. We are not together anymore, but I still have to... unlearn the stuff I picked up while the relationship lasted. It is one of the reasons why my relationship with Ginger turned out the way it did. Sometimes I wonder if I even know what a healthy relationship should look like.”

Gosh, Baljeet was really exposing himself there. He looked really insecure, playing with his fingers, and with his gaze absent - Phineas never saw him being this vulnerable. He decided that it was only fair to trust him and share some of his pain too.

“You know… I feel like me and Isabella were doing pretty okay at the beginning,” he confessed. “There were a lot of kisses, a lot of affection. But the more time we spent with each other’s company, the more things started to… break.”

“Go on,” he encouraged softly.

“Well, for starters, we ran out of things to talk about rather quickly. No, wait, that's not the right way to put it,” he contemplated for a moment. “It was more like… I noticed that she only pretended to listen to what I had to say, instead of actually listening and interacting. I’d be in the middle of talking about something interesting, like the Brane world theory, and she’d interrupt me half-word with something completely unrelated! It happened more than once.”

“I see.”

“Are  _ you  _ listening to me?” Phineas asked, just to make sure.

“Yes, I am. Things between you and Isabella started to break, and she would only pretend to be listening to you. It sounds dreadful,” he added, looking sorry. “But you know what, we should totally discuss the Brane world someday. Tiny black holes associated with a fifth dimension are fascinating in theory. And they sound kind of adorable, too.”

Phineas smiled with relief. Having someone who not only listened but also responded to his rambling? Who knew exactly what he was rambling about? Who was on the same wavelength? Baljeet was a wonderful change of pace. Only now Phineas realized just how much he missed him.

“Well, going back to the subject,” Phineas sighed, forcing himself from getting sidetracked, “Isabella also turned out to be… really bossy. Like super bossy. Did you know she could be  _ this  _ bossy?”

“Yes, I am well aware of her bossiness.”

“Well, I wasn’t,” Phineas raised his leg to hug his knee. “And sometime after New Year's I started realizing that I… don’t actually know her all that well. And it made me sad.”

“What, did you think her cuteness, helpfulness and leadership skills were all there is to her?”

“I… uh?”

“Phineas, Isabella can be  _ terrifying _ , especially when she is angry. I mean, she can be really violent! Oh, and she hates being told what to do. And she would  _ kill  _ for attention. And when she sets a goal for herself, she would do  _ anything  _ to reach it. But I guess I see where you are coming from. In the past she was often making sure to act differently around you, specifically.”

“What! But why?”

“Probably to make you think her cuteness, helpfulness and leadership skills was all there was to her.”

“But… why would she hide who she is from me?”

“Perhaps she dislikes that other side of herself. Or she did not want you to know her other side. Or both.”

“Well, I know about it now,” Phineas sighed. “Not long before we broke up, I started feeling really bad about myself. I tried to figure out why. You see, Isabella seemed really angry with me often, for reasons she’d never explain, and the longer this went on, the more anxious I was. I was worried that I was doing everything wrong. I was exhausted, and the guilt was killing me, so…” Phineas hugged his leg even harder. “I broke up with her before new summer began.”

_ He went back to the previous status quo, _ Baljeet thought,  _ because it was something he knew well, and he wanted to feel safe again. _

Baljeet hesitated before he wrapped his arms around Phineas’ shoulders, pulling him into a hug. Phineas raised his eyebrows in surprise, but he didn’t object.

He couldn’t remember when was the last time someone hugged him like that. It was comforting, despite Baljeet’s curly hair tickling his neck, and it was exactly what he needed. His hands slid on Baljeet’s back, feeling the soft fabric of his sweater vest, as he tugged him even closer. The hug lingered for longer than it probably should, and Baljeet hated how good it felt.

Finally, realizing that Phineas wouldn’t be the one to break the hug, Baljeet let his friend go, shifting away and clearing his throat.

“Do you want to continue watching Space Adventure?” he asked. “I am not done geeking out about sci-fi yet.”

Phineas glanced at the clock. It was long after sunset, and it was getting kind of late. He should probably get back home soon.

“Me neither,” he finally decided.

“I had a feeling you would say that,” Baljeet grabbed the bowl and left the couch to get more popcorn.

“You know me pretty well,” Phineas answered with a soft smile.

Baljeet felt his face heating up as he entered the kitchen. That turn of events complicated absolutely everything.


	4. Studio

As it turned out, “studio” was just how Buford was calling his apartment - but for a good reason.

Isabella found it easily after he sent her his address in a text message. He was now living downtown, closer to the film school.

Isabella rang the doorbell and waited only for a moment. Soon, Buford appeared in the doorframe, grinning. His straight hair was now shoulder length, and he seemed even bigger than usual, as he was one head taller than her, and his shoulders were broader than she remembered. He greeted her eagerly, trapping her in a bear hug.

“So good to see ya, Isabella,” he said, releasing her before she lost her breath completely, and inviting her inside with a hand movement.

Now Isabella understood why he called his apartment “studio”. It was quite spacious and modern, with white walls and big windows. A film studio corner, complete with a green screen and movie set equipment, was hiding behind a room divider, complete with a fish tank. The drum kit stood near the open kitchen, with a few rock band posters on the wall above it. There was also a punching bag in the other corner of the room. There were only two doors - the exit, and what Isabella assumed must have been the door to the bathroom. And there wasn’t any bed - Buford must have been sleeping on the fold-out couch, standing in the middle of the room, in front of a TV.

She expected Buford’s place to be a mess, but he put some effort into cleaning around his living space, at least a little.

“So what’ve you been up to?” he asked conversationally, gesturing at the couch while he walked to the kitchen.

Isabella sighed, sitting on the couch, feeling exhausted.

“Phineas and I broke up.”

“Ha!” he glanced at her over his shoulder, with an amused expression. “Ya ain’t jokin’?” she sent him a death glare. “How did that happen?”

“It just… didn’t work out,” she answered, making sure she didn’t reveal who broke up with whom. She didn’t want to give Buford more opportunities to laugh. “We wanted different things.”

“What kind of things?”

“He’s just… He’s just not that romantic!” Isabella complained, raising her hands in annoyance. “It wasn’t at all like I imagined it would be!”

“Well, duh,” he pulled lemonade from the fridge and closed the door with his leg. “Where did the idea of Phineas bein’ romantic even come from? Phineas is the most clueless guy I know, he treats romance like a science project.”

“I’ve noticed,” Isabella growled through clenched teeth, folding her arms and crossing her legs.

Buford threw a bag of salty pretzels on the coffee table and handed Isabella a glass of lemonade. He then went back to the kitchen to grab his own glass and returned to sit back on the couch next to her.

“Too bad,” he said sincerely. “Were you harsh?”

“Was I- What?”

“Well it’s not like I’ve known ya for at least ten years or anythin’, but I’ve noticed that your idea of romance is a little... hetero-normative.”

“Excuse me?”

“If we compare romance to, let’s say, a big bottle, then your version of romance is as narrow as the bottleneck. You’re just as clueless as Dinner Bell, just in a different way. No offence.”

Isabella wanted to bite back, and already opened her mouth to say something mean, but her expression changed as she realized Buford might have been onto something. She leaned into the backrest, sipping lemonade, her expression now sorrowful. Buford observed her features, concerned, worried that he crossed a line.

“Sorry,” he said. “Didn’t invite you here just to call ya out.”

“I think…” she muttered after she swallowed, “both me and Phineas had a false perception of each other, and after getting together... it just wasn’t what we expected.”

Perhaps she did put on a show for Phineas. Perhaps she did expect him to conform to her own idea of romance. Perhaps she wasn’t being entirely fair to him. He _was_ pretty clueless in the romance department, and trying to change who he was wasn’t the healthiest thing in the world.

Without thinking, she pulled out Phineas’ photo from her wallet. She developed a habit of looking at it, when her thoughts wandered aimlessly, going back in time, reflecting on her mistakes and of what could have been. Kind of ironic that she fell for the guy who was all about seizing the present day, when she herself constantly looked back to the past or into the future. He was way too much about the journey, and she was way too much about the destination.

“Alright, back to calling out,” Buford broke the silence. “What IS that?”

He swiped the picture from her fingers and left the couch before she could even realize what was happening.

“Hey-!” Isabella stood up, setting the glass on the coffee table. “Give it back!”

“When was this photo taken, high school? Maybe earlier?” he asked, examining it in a better light.

“It’s not your business-” she walked over to him, trying to grab onto his raised arm.

“Wow, you seem furious. For how long have you been carryin’ this with ya?”

“Give it back-” she grunted, kicking his legs and jumping around him to get the picture back, but he was holding it above her head, taking full advantage of his superior height.

“You really spent years obsessin’ over someone who wasn’t interested, carryin’ a photo of his face without him knowing, huh? Ain’t creepy at all.”

“Buford,” she growled with a warning, sending him a death stare and extending her hand, expectantly. “Give. It. Back.”

He raised his eyebrows and lowered his arm, so Isabella could retrieve the picture. But as she made an attempt, he jerked his hand away, preventing her from getting it. And then he did it again and again, smirking at her.

“Stop teasing,” she muttered, finally grabbing the picture and hiding it back in her wallet. She returned to the couch and sighed heavily. “I’m worried I ruined everything... How did _you_ do it? How can you and Baljeet even look at each other after everything you’ve been through?”

“Well, it’s not like we stopped bein’ friends after we broke up. Ya know...” he trailed off, “almost everyone I know left Danville for the school year,” he confessed, “and Jeet was the only guy to keep me company from time to time. We ain’t datin’. But we keep in touch,” he sat down on the couch next to Isabella. “So why won’t you keep in touch with Dinner Bell?”

“I… already have plans for the summer. There’s some much work at the restaurant-”

“Excuses. You’re overworking yourself, Isa.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Oh, really? Weren’t you leavin’ for school two weeks early because you’re an R.A., and in soccer, debate camp, student government-”

“Fine, okay, stop-”

“You literally only came here after I told ya I need your help with somethin’!”

“And you still didn’t tell me what it is exactly.”

“Right,” he snapped his fingers, rising from the couch again. He disappeared in the film studio corner for a moment, resurfacing with a bunch of papers in his hand, and a pencil. “I just need your expertise on this scene I wrote. It’s a tense action sequence, happenin’ in the forest, and I know that you know a lot about survival, being a Fireside Girl and all. Could ya read it and tell me if it’s accurate enough to create the suspension of disbelief?”

She took the script and the pencil, raising her eyebrows with surprise and curiosity, and immediately started reading the pages.

“Is it okay if I keep myself busy with somethin’ else?” he asked. “I don’t want to distract you from readin’, but I don’t wanna just sit here either.”

“Hm? Oh, yeah, go ahead,” she muttered, her eyes on the script.

“Cool,” he said, arching to grab the fabric of his t-shirt on his back, and pulling it over his head.

It wouldn’t be the first time for Isabella to see Buford (or any other member of her gang, really) shirtless, not by a longshot, so she didn’t even react to it. What caught her attention was the sound of his gloved fist meeting the punching bag.

Her eyes snapped to him boxing the bag in the room's corner. Buford wasn’t just standing there, landing punches - his feet were moving, he was creating angles, hitting the bag at more than one level, mixing it up constantly, doing it with efficiency rather than power. He was also keeping his fists close to his face, defensively, while avoiding invisible punches, as if he was fighting a real opponent and not just the punching bag. It lasted for about three minutes, before he took a quick break, and Isabella suddenly remembered the script. He continued the routine after a short moment and this time Isabella tried to stay focused on the pages he gave her, but she couldn’t help but to peek at him from time to time - especially when he was also working in knees and feet, landing effective kicks.

His workout ended after about fifteen minutes, after which he disappeared in the bathroom, probably to take a shower. Only now Isabella could truly focus on the script.

“I finished,” she said, when Buford re-entered the room. “I wrote you a few notes on how to improve some scenes. And I noticed one dialogue was a little clunky, so I moved around some sentences. It should flow better now. But... besides that,” she gave him the pages, after he put on his t-shirt, “it’s really good.”

He took the script, raising his brow at her words. He started going through the pages, reading all her notes, and the further he went, the more his focused expression started changing. Finally, he shifted his gaze, giving her a look she couldn’t quite read.

“What?” she furrowed eyebrows after another moment of silence, waiting for his opinion.

“Is there anything you can’t do?” Buford asked, a soft smile appearing on his face. “Oh, and, uh… thanks.”

Isabella blinked, her gaze trailing off and resting on the dark window.

“It’s getting late,” she sighed. “I’ve been told that Ferb comes back on Amanda’s birthday. That’s two reasons for having to show up at Phineas’ place tomorrow,” she propped her cheek on her hand. “I’m not ready.”

“Hey, it’ll be okay,” Buford said. “Toddlers these days aren’t very picky when it comes to presents.”

Isabella turned her head, already opening her mouth to tell him that’s not what she was worrying about, but he was already sending her a condescending smile, assuring her he was just joking.

“Seriously, though,” he continued. “What’s the worst that can happen? Me, Baljeet, Ferb and Candace will all be there. Just a good ol’ fashioned family meeting. There won’t be any room for ya and Phineas to get awkward.”

“I hope you’re right,” she sighed.

“Yeah, anyway...” Buford’s gaze trailed off after a moment of silence. “I can walk you home if ya want.”

“I came here by car, I’m going to be fine,” she said, rising from the couch and heading for the exit.

“I’ll walk ya to your car, then,” Buford followed suit.

“You know I can take care of myself, right?”

“Oh, I don’t doubt that. But that’s the least I can do to thank ya for humoring me.”

“Humoring you?”

“Ya know. For catchin’ up with an old friend,” he answered with a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Amanda Johnson would already be a toddler if she appeared in Act Your Age, so yeah.  
> Also, I have never in my life put so much thought into anything as I did while describing Buford's living space. That is all asdfghjkl


	5. Conversation

Baljeet was on his way to Phineas’ house, holding a present in his hand, when he heard a familiar voice.

“Hi, handsome,” the tone was flat.

Already annoyed, he turned around to face Buford, who was also coming this way.

“Hi, Buford,” Baljeet answered, his voice flat as well. “On your way to Amanda’s birthday?”

“Ya know it.”

“So…” Baljeet glanced at the giant teddy-bear-shaped present that his friend was carrying under his arm. “What did you buy her?”

“A giant teddy bear.”

“Never would have guessed. How much did it cost you?”

“T’wasn’t as expensive as ya think. But I’d buy it, even if it was. The kid deserves nothin’ but the best. After all, she could’ve been my daughter if things went… a little differently,” he moved his eyebrows in a very suggestive way.

Baljeet groaned and rolled his eyes so much, his eyelids fluttered.

Buford got over his childhood crush on Candace _years_ ago. At this point he was just saying this to mess with people, and most importantly, to annoy Baljeet.

“So anyway,” Buford fixed the present under his arm, walking along with his friend. “Ya think things will get awkward?”

“Elaborate.”

“Between Isabella and Phineas, I mean. Things between them are kinda dicey, didn’tcha hear?”

“If we play the right cards, we can still get them back together. They just need to have a chance to talk about their differences, that is all.”

“Why gettin’ them back together? We tried that once, and they just didn’t work out. Isn’t it better to just leave them be? I mean, how would ya feel if they tried to force _us_ back together?” Buford winced as soon as he said it. “Actually, don’t answer that, I don’t wanna know.”

Baljeet snorted involuntarily.

Finally, they arrived at the Phineas’ house. Baljeet pressed the doorbell, and Jeremy opened the door soon after.

“Oh, hi guys!” he greeted them. “Come in!”

“‘Sup, Jerry,” Buford grinned.

“Hi, Jeremy,” Baljeet shook hands with him, as both he and Buford stepped inside. “Thank you for inviting us-”

“Uncle Buford in the house!” Buford shouted, making Baljeet flinch.

Buford held a giant teddy bear above his head and grinned when he saw a ginger toddler running to meet him. He set the present aside, putting his hand on his hip, and the other to his forehead, looking around the room. Candace, Vanessa and Isabella waved their hands to greet him, and he nodded back at them without breaking his act.

“Now, where is she?” he searched for Amanda theatrically.

“Here!” Amanda squeaked, jumping in place adorably and giggling.

“Right you are!” Buford looked down at her, extended his arms, grinning. “How did I miss ya, you’re so big already!”

He raised her up, putting her on his shoulders, spinning around the room and making airplane noises, while Amanda screamed with laughter. Baljeet and Jeremy joined Candace, Vanessa and Isabella at the table.

“Hi, guys,” Baljeet said. “Good to see you, Isabella. How are you feeling?”

“Hi, Baljeet,” she smiled, and they both leaned in for a hug. “I feel good,” she said, her chin on his shoulder. “A little anxious.”

“My parents couldn’t be here with us today,” Candace said, answering Baljeet’s silent question. “They had something to do out of town. But they will be back tomorrow, and Jeremy’s family will show up too.”

“Two birthdays? Amanda is one lucky toddler. So…” Baljeet let Isabella go and cleared his throat. “Where is Ferb?”

“He’s outside, catching up with Phineas,” Vanessa answered. “They’ll come back here, eventually. Give them some time.”

* * *

“Aw…” Ferb said. “That’s a shame.”

“It sure is, Ferb. And before you ask, no, I don’t think me and Isabella should get back together. But she’s inside the house now, and I’m a little scared. I don’t know how to act. Ah, I probably should have asked Baljeet for some piece of advice when I had a chance.”

Both of them were sitting under the tree, just like in the old days. It’s been a while.

“I don’t want to end my friendship with Isabella,” Phineas continued. “She’s still really important to me, we just… we just don’t work together as we thought we would. Romantically, I mean. I know, I know,” he kept going. “I should probably try to undo the damage, but I’m just… I’m not sure how to do it. I didn’t want to break her heart. Say, you’ve been in a relationship with Vanessa for some time now. How did you two do it? How did you pull it through?”

Ferb looked at Phineas.

Ferb and Vanessa met when they were kids, and he developed a huge crush on her. It didn’t last though - Vanessa was older, and she was her own person. But Ferb cared for her happiness and never seemed too disappointed when she was dating other people.

But then, a few years later, they met again, and Ferb found himself falling in love with her all over again. And now they were both in their 20s, dating and content. She admired his intelligence, emotional stability, and his constant willingness to do good and improve the world, and he was happy he found someone who could easily understand and interpret him. Although, Vanessa being a psychology major might have something to do with it.

Of course, Ferb was now studying abroad, but Vanessa was determined to continue their relationship despite it being long-distance. With their mutual respect, against all the odds, they were making it work. It was like they were trying to spite the universe.

“Via trust, communication and mutual understanding,” Ferb replied.

“Oh, easy for you to say!” Phineas grumbled. “You’re the best at communication! You always know exactly what to say.”

Ferb put a hand on his brother’s shoulder.

“We will go inside together,” he said calmly. “Don’t worry.”

Phineas sent him a grateful smile.

“It’s good to have you back, Ferb.”

* * *

Isabella was sitting on the couch, talking with Candace, when Amanda waddled in their direction, extending her hands, clearly wanting to be picked up.

“Oh… hi, Amanda,” Isabella smiled, putting her on her lap and bouncing her leg, making her jump in place and laugh.

“I love you, aunt Isabella!” the girl exclaimed, giving her a gentle hug.

“What did you call me?” Isabella blinked.

“Aunt Isabella!” Amanda giggled.

“But I’m not part of the family-”

“Nonsense, of course you are!” said Candace, picking Amanda up and putting her down on the floor. Amanda ran away, giggling, and Candace gestured at the rest of the guests. “So are Baljeet and Buford. We don’t have to be blood related. Friends are family.”

Isabella stared at her without a word, before she glanced at Baljeet and Buford, who were talking with each other on the other side of the room. Buford squatted when Amanda bumped into him, redirecting her so she could run to Jeremy and Vanessa next. Candace soon left the couch, leaving Isabella alone.

Maybe her way of thinking really was too hetero-normative… Maybe the timeline wasn’t wrong after all. Could it be possible she was just misinterpreting things all along? She would probably never get answers. But… did any of it really even matter? 

Baljeet must have noticed her absent face, because he bumped Buford with his elbow, and the two of them crossed the room to check on her.

“Hi again,” Baljeet smiled.

“How are ya holdin’ up?” Buford asked.

“It’s all right,” she admitted, standing up, and coming closer to them. “I guess I just can’t escape my thoughts,” a smile appeared on her face, as she glanced at Buford. “Since when are you good with kids?” 

“Oh, uh, I just,” he scratched the back of his neck, sheepishly, “I came from a broken home so, uh… I just treat kids the way I wish adults treated me when I was their age, ya know. Little guys deserve respect.”

Baljeet looked at Buford, then at Isabella, and he already opened his mouth to say something, but he was interrupted as Ferb entered the room.

“Ferb!” Buford shouted.

He pushed between Baljeet and Isabella, before they were able to react, and jumped across the room, trapping Ferb in a bear hug. Phineas entered the room soon after.

“Dinner Bell!” Buford grinned, releasing Ferb and grabbing Phineas next. “Oh, it’s so good to see you guys!”

Baljeet and Isabella got to Ferb at the same time, going in for the group hug.

And then Phineas and Isabella’s eyes locked, and they kept staring at each other for a few long seconds, before Isabella sent him a tiny smile, and Phineas replied with the same expression.

None of them said anything, but there was no time for talking anyway - Jeremy pulled out a birthday cake and they all gathered around the table, helping Amanda blowing the candles.

And then, Phineas, Ferb, Isabella, Baljeet and Buford were sitting at the table, chatting as if they didn’t have a single care in the world - talking about school and their plans for the summer, observing Jeremy playing pretend with Amanda (or, one could say - larping), while Candace and Vanessa chatted on the side.

Phineas talked about everything that Ferb told him about his school in England, since Ferb didn’t feel like repeating himself, and it was a story that Baljeet eagerly engaged with, when he wasn’t busy with friendly teasing coming from Isabella, and before any of them knew, Buford and Ferb were already eating their second slices of the cake.

The five of them were a family, in the full meaning of the word. They would always be there for each other - their circle was close, loyal, and supportive. But they were also reactive, sometimes taking things too personally, so their small problems could escalate into bigger ones easily. But of course, they would always forgive each other in the end. Nothing could destroy their friendship.

And when Baljeet was wondering how to make Phineas and Isabella talk to each other, someone rang the doorbell.

“Oh, that’s probably Stacy,” said Candace, already standing up to let her in.

“Fashionably late,” Vanessa commented with a smirk.

“Psst! Phineas,” Baljeet leaned over the table, as Ferb and Buford left to greet Stacy. “Now would be a good time for you and Isabella to talk.”

As Baljeet turned away from them, Phineas poked Isabella’s arm, motioning his head at the backyard door. They walked outside together, and Baljeet had to peek through the window to see how they were doing. He couldn’t hear them, but judging by their body language, he could tell they were tense. But not angry. And the more they talked, the less tense they became. And then Phineas extended his arms, offering a hug, and after a moment of hesitation, Isabella hugged him.

“Finally,” Baljeet voiced quietly, trying to sound relieved, but something about this still felt off.

Why didn’t he feel as satisfied as he thought he would?


	6. Supercut

On the next day, the five of them met again, just to hang out, even if Phineas and Isabella still seemed a little tense around each other. But on the second day, it seemed like things finally started to get better. And on the third day, you could barely even tell that something bad happened between them.

After a week, everything seemed to go back to normal. Just the five of them, hanging out every day, working well as gears in a clock - sometimes playing games or watching movies, sometimes hanging out in the mall and sometimes just simply building stuff in the backyard, just like they were kids. Phineas and Isabella were friends again, and from the looks of it, their relationship wouldn’t get worse.

But during the second week, Baljeet noticed that it wasn’t getting better, either.

Phineas and Isabella were friends, but that’s all they were. There was no secret peeking at each other, there was no awkwardness, no accidental bumping to each other, no nothing. Isabella was still ready to participate in their plans, but it seemed like her brain was turning off every time Phineas was explaining more technical aspects of their projects, and Baljeet couldn’t help but feel that this is exactly how they always operated, but this time Isabella just wasn’t obsessing over Phineas anymore.

Then, of course, they also had days when some of them were busy and couldn’t come. Usually it was Ferb, who enjoyed spending his free time with Vanessa, but sometimes their group was missing Isabella, sometimes Buford, sometimes both Isabella and Buford, and sometimes Baljeet himself couldn’t come, because he had days on which he preferred to be alone, or kept himself busy with personal projects. Days on which individual people from their gang were missing weren’t anything unusual - sometimes they had different plans for a day and it was okay - so Baljeet didn’t think much of those.

But then, about a month since the summer started, Baljeet was the only one who showed up in Phineas’ house.

“Hi, Baljeet!” Phineas grinned, letting him in.

“Hi, Phineas,” Baljeet answered with a smile. “So what are the plans for today?”

“I guess whatever you want them to be.”

“Why is that?”

“It looks like today it’s just you and me, pal.”

“What? Where is everyone?”

“Well, Ferb and Vanessa are on a date...”

“What about Buford and Isabella?”

“I don’t know, haven’t seen them today,” Phineas shrugged. He genuinely looked like he didn’t mind not knowing. “So, anyway, we could go upstairs and, uh, yeah, what do you want to do today? We can do anything you’d like.”

“Anything?”

“Anything!” Phineas grinned.

“I… uh…” Baljeet swallowed, staring at his friend’s face.

He didn’t have any trouble coming up with a few ideas. Watching more Space Adventure would be one of the obvious ones. They could just also talk, discussing physics or time travel. Or perhaps they could work on some music - it was something they both enjoyed and were good at, and Baljeet wouldn’t mind hearing Phineas sing again, he wouldn’t mind that at all.

But it was _Phineas_ he would be spending time with, and Baljeet was probably thinking too small. Maybe Phineas would be more interested in building something out of this world. Or maybe, going back to that music idea, they could organize a concert? Baljeet remembered fondly when Phineas helped him break out of his shell during the Baljeatles concert. Baljeet still remembered, very vividly, wearing that punk outfit and singing on the stage with Phineas by his side.

And oh, how they sang.

But maybe now he was thinking too big? Maybe Phineas gave Baljeet a choice because he enjoyed the time they spent in Baljeet’s apartment, which was more calm and intimate than Phineas’ usual activities. Maybe Phineas really did want to do whatever Baljeet had on his mind. And since Phineas was leading him upstairs - _to his bedroom_ , as he just realized - Baljeet could easily think of a few intimate activities they could get busy with.

There were so many things they could be doing, and Baljeet wanted to do so much - _too much_ \- and it all sounded so good - _too good_ \- and Phineas was still looking at him, waiting for an answer, his expression a little concerned now.

“Uh… Baljeet? You okay there, buddy?”

“I, uh, just remembered-” Baljeet covered his mouth for a moment. “I just remembered I had to do something today, I am so sorry!”

“Oh,” Phineas seemed to be a little disappointed, but he still smiled with an understanding, and the guilt inside Baljeet’s guts was killing him. “It’s okay. We can hang out together some other time. Saturday evening?”

 _No, do NOT try to schedule our meeting_ , Baljeet thought helplessly. _You KNOW that scheduled activities are my weakness._

“That sounds outstanding!” he admitted with a sheepish grin. “But, uh… I don’t know- I will keep you posted,” he bumped into the wall with his back. “I’m so sorry,” he apologized to the wall. “I have to run now. Bye!”

“See you later!” Phineas waved him goodbye with a smile and watched as his friend basically ran away from him. “Hm,” Phineas wondered, as he closed the door behind him. “He used contractions. Twice. He must have been really upset about something.”

* * *

“You’re holding back,” she dodged the hit easily.

“Ya really think so?” his feet were moving.

“Stop going easy on me, you’re taking the fun out of the challenge. You think I can’t take it?”

“Oh, I don’t doubt you can. I just don’t wanna hurt ya is all.”

Isabella grabbed Buford by the sleeve of his t-shirt, turning in a way that her back collided with his chest and before he knew it, she used his weight to flip him over her body, and he hit the floor, lying motionless on his back, staring, with his eyes wide-opened, at the ceiling and Isabella’s smug face above him. She didn’t earn that judo patch for nothing.

He started chuckling.

“Alright,” he grinned, getting back on his feet, eagerly.

They clashed again, but this time Buford managed to catch both her hands, before she was able to grab him. He moved them up and on the sides, and it looked like it was going to be a battle of strength for a while, when Buford looked at her with his eyes lidded, sending her a smirk and a wink. Isabella stared at his face, puzzled, and he used that moment to swipe at her legs, making her trip and fall over. He was still holding her hands, so he made sure she wouldn’t hit the floor too hard.

“That’s called cheating,” she grumbled.

“That’s called bein’ distracted,” he lifted her up and let go, crossing the room to fall down on his couch, face up. “I gotta admit,” Buford breathed heavily. “Sparring with ya is way more fun than hittn’ the punching bag.”

“Rematch tomorrow?” she asked, coming closer, resting her hands on the backrest.

“Totally,” he agreed, draping his arm over his eyes.

“So how about that movie?”

“Gimme a minute.”

She walked around the couch to sit next to him, and he moved to make her some room. For a moment they were just resting in silence, satisfied after the workout.

“Ya know,” Buford breathed. “Before we watch the movie… A few days ago I found a supercut I created when I was a kid. Haven’t re-watched it yet, ‘cause I thought we could do it together. Ya know, for laughs.”

“Okay,” Isabella grinned. “Let’s watch it.”

Soon, Buford prepared the video, so they could watch it on his TV set.

“Three, two, one, cringe time,” he said, as the video started playing. “Oh, _nooo_ …” he groaned immediately, covering his face with his hand, but still watching between his fingers. “What _is_ this editing?”

The title card declared that they were about to watch a supercut directed by Buford Van Stomm. The background music was an instrumental version of My Chemical Romance’s “Na Na Na”, that he no doubt pirated from the internet.

The video consisted of a montage of short clips from their childhood, mostly from Buford’s perspective, as he was the one holding the camera, but sometimes the camera was being held by someone else, or it was simply resting on the ground, showcasing all of them. They had to be around twelve or thirteen at the time.

“Look at me, I was such a caterpillar,” Buford said, and Isabella chuckled at the expression.

“Aw, but look at all of us, we were such cute kids,” she said. “You cared so much about upholding your bad boy image back then.”

He shook his head.

“Not much has changed there. It’s just now I have a better image in mind to follow.”

They watched images of them doing all kinds of stuff in Phineas and Ferb’s backyard - Isabella asking Phineas her regular question, Ferb realizing he was being filmed and winking at the camera, Buford using his strength to drag Baljeet somewhere, against his will. A shot of them enjoying themselves at a concert. A shot of them being the ones on the stage. A shot of them on the beach. A shot of a metal board on the completely dark background, with “In space. Again.” written on it. Sometimes the music would cut, and they could hear one of them saying a silly joke that would make both Buford and Isabella laugh, before the music would continue with more shots. Finally, the supercut ended with credit cards that made Buford groan even more.

“Welp,” he said, and he started preparing the movie they were meaning to watch, “that was a nightmare.”

“I liked it,” Isabella declared.

“Thanks,” he smiled, but his tone was a little flat. She leaned forward, observing his features. He seemed conflicted.

“Hey,” she said, gently. “Maybe it’s not such a bad thing to dislike your past self. It means you grew.”

“My therapist told me somethin’ similar,” Buford admitted with another smile, more sincere this time. He returned to the couch and took the seat next to her. “But hey, I am who I am thanks to ya.”

“What do you mean?”

“Let’s be real here, if you haven’t challenged me and my worldviews when we were kids, I’d probably still be a sexist asshole,” he admitted before his gaze trailed off down to his feet. “I remember cryin’ once. And I was very stubborn on insistin’ my eyes were just sweating. But then you got down to my level, askin’ if I was sweating through my eyes and I had this moment of realization that I could always trust ya when talkin’ about my feelings.”

He started chuckling softly.

“What?” Isabella asked, smiling and raising her eyebrow.

“I also remember when you slapped me right in the face and I thanked you.”

She giggled.

“I remember you’d sometimes fall asleep on my shoulder when you got too bored with Baljeet’s ramblings,” she said. “Aaand I remember being better than you at video games.”

“Oh, yeah, you’d always destroy me,” he nodded. “Oh, remember when we went to that haunted house? Suddenly it got dark, so we held hands and-”

“Did we really? Must have been an accident.”

“That’s not how I remember it.”

“Remember when you jacked into Candace’s mind?”

“Ya jumped in, right behind me-”

“And then you proceeded to show me around!” they both burst with laughter.

“Oh man, I remember when Phineas and Ferb asked me if I could jump out of the cake for your birthday,” Buford remembered, “and I’d agree! But they just couldn’t afford me,” Buford was practically crying from laughter.

“Wait, I don’t know that story,” Isabella snorted.

“Now ya know!” he giggled.

“Could you at least tell me a story of why you had life-sized molds of all of us? What was that about? Were you making some kind of art project, or-”

“I’ll never tell ya. But hey, it came in handy!”

“It sure did,” she chuckled. “The canoe came in handy as well. I must admit, you’re pretty good at thinking outside the box.”

Suddenly, both of them gasped and turned to each other, the same idea on their mind.

“Table football!” they exclaimed.

“Oh man, I haven’t played that in forever,” Buford grinned. “You’d destroy me.”

“I would destroy you even if you weren’t rusty,” she said with a cocky smirk.

“That’s… probably true,” he admitted slowly.

All of a sudden, someone knocked on the front door. Buford looked that way, furrowing his eyebrows and sighing heavily.

“Who’s that?” Isabella asked, suddenly feeling slightly self-conscious.

“Take a guess,” Buford answered.

Isabella watched him as he left the couch and crossed the room to open the door.

“Hi, Buford,” said Baljeet, not waiting for an invitation, already moving past him and walking inside the apartment. He was holding a DVD box in his hand. “I figured today is a good day to convince you that Space Adventure is superior to-”

Suddenly he noticed Isabella, and his eyes widened.

And then he realized it’s been a few days in a row in which neither Buford nor Isabella showed up at Phineas’ house. Could it be possible that they both have been just spending time together, here, during all this time?

Stare-downs ensued. Baljeet’s head was moving as he stared at Buford and Isabella. Isabella was glancing at Baljeet and Buford, and Buford’s eyes were snapping between Baljeet and Isabella.

If the atmosphere in the room had sound effects, it would be playing Kill Bill sirens.

They were, as Candace would put it, busted.

Finally, Buford cleared his throat.

“Actually, Baljeet, we can’t watch Space Adventure with ya.”

“Yeah,” Isabella added, snapping out of it. “We already have a movie picked for tonight.”

“You do?” Baljeet asked, a subtle note of disappointment noticeable in his question.

“Yeah, we’re watchin’ Stumbleberry Finkbat,” Buford answered.

“Yeah, we’re watching one movie from the series a day,” Isabella added. “It’s been ages since I re-watched the entire saga.”

 _And as soon as Buford found out, he gasped loudly and played the first movie immediately_ , she added in her head. There was no need to give Baljeet more details.

“And there is nothing I can do to make you guys watch science fiction today?” Baljeet made sure.

“I’m not passing on my favorite scene with a fairy riding unicorn to battle, no way,” Isabella shook her head.

“God, those movies sound pretentious,” Baljeet rolled his eyes. “But you know what?” he added, pulling out his phone. “We should invite Phineas and Ferb, they like this trash too-”

“Um,” Isabella voiced, ready to object.

“Alright, I won’t tolerate Stumbleberry Finkbat slander in my studio,” Buford said, grabbing his friend’s arm and dragging him across the room, “it’s time for Baljeet to Bal-yeet.” 

“Do not touch me-”

“Yeet,” Buford opened the exit door and effortlessly shoved him outside. “Off ya go.”

“Rude,” Baljeet muttered, finding his footing.

“Jeet, you gotta go, man,” Buford stepped into the corridor, closing the door to his apartment behind him.

“Oh, I am sorry,” Baljeet answered quietly, so Isabella wouldn’t hear them by accident. There was an awful, mocking smile lurking in the corner of his lips. “Am I cock-blocking you?”

“Everyone moves on, man. Why can’t you? Would ya _really_ rather prefer if we got back together? So you could blame me again for your every single misfortune? So you could talk down to me again? I think not. I ain’t goin’ back to that mess, no, _not again_. And clearly, I think I deserve better.”

Baljeet furrowed his eyebrows and analyzed his answer, the realization hitting him like a truck.

“Wait… I cannot believe this… You _are_ hitting on Isabella,” Baljeet gasped, his eyes getting bigger. “Behind Phineas’ back!”

“Hey, last time I checked, Isabella’s relationship status was single. Let the girl make her own decisions, ‘kay?”

“You are despicable.”

“Hey! Do you really think I’m doin’ this to spite Phineas? Dinner Bell’s my good friend! But he and Isabella ain’t together no more. And I just-” his ears suddenly turned red, and he glanced away, putting his hand at the back of his neck. “I think I… I actually like her.”

“You cannot be serious,” Baljeet blinked at him in disbelief.

“Listen Baljeet, I know your game,” Buford leaned down to meet his gaze, and Baljeet regretted that Buford knew him that well. “I know what you’re tryin’ to do. And to show you I care, I’m not gonna let ya. You’ve gotta face your problems someday. And I really think you should see a therap-”

Baljeet quickly extended his hand to grab Buford by his t-shirt and bring him even closer, so he could see his furious expression much clearer. He was practically shaking with anger.

“ _You_ , of all people,” he hissed through clenched teeth, angrily punctuating every word, “do not get to tell me to see a therapist.”

Baljeet shoved him away (or at least - made an attempt of doing so. He was rather weak physically, and Buford was as immovable as a brick wall) and stormed off, steaming with anger.

“I suppose that’s fair,” Buford muttered, returning to his apartment.


	7. Separated

A week later, they were building a portal to Venus, and Baljeet wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

The portal was standing, almost done, in the backyard's corner. Phineas was working on it, while Ferb searched some boxes for the correct parts and components. Isabella was closer to the tree, going through the toolbox, and Buford was nearby her, leaning against the fence, chilling. Baljeet was standing in the middle of all of it, lost in thought.

He didn’t look like he was feeling well - he had bags under his eyes and there was a very subtle stubble on his chin, pointing at the fact that he didn’t care to shave this morning.

Things were even worse because today Buford had his camera with him, and he was filming everything and everyone, including Baljeet’s exhausted face, right at this very moment.

“Could you please not?” Baljeet asked, looking even more tired. “I am having a bad day.”

“Yeah, what else is new,” Buford shrugged, pointing the camera at something else.

“Hey, Baljeet?” Phineas asked, doing something with the portal. “Could you fetch me my wrench?”

Baljeet shuffled his feet, moving across the backyard without a hurry, when he noticed Ferb looking at him quizzically, which Baljeet knew was his way of starting a conversation.

“I am in hell, Ferb,” Baljeet said.

Ferb blinked at him, before he looked at Phineas, working alone on the panel of the machine, and then at Buford and Isabella, talking to each other on the other side of the backyard. Ferb’s gaze returned to Baljeet, this time looking at him with understanding. He put a hand on his shoulder, rising eyebrows.

“No, I will not let it be,” Baljeet replied, shaking his shoulder so Ferb would stop touching him. “Watch me.”

Ferb sat down on the boxes, pulling out his phone to pretend he was busy with texting Vanessa, so he could do what he was asked for, with no interruption, and watched as Baljeet walked to Isabella.

“Hey, Isabella,” he said. “I am sorry for acting weird the last time we saw each other at Buford’s place.”

“Oh,” she looked at him and smiled. “It was nothing, don’t even worry about it.”

“You know, Phineas wanted me to tell you, it would be exceptional if you fetched him his wrench.”

“Oh, okay. Is it this one?”

“Yes.”

“Hey, Phineas! Catch!” she threw the wrench across the backyard. Phineas managed to catch it only by pure luck.

“Thanks!” he grinned and went back to work.

“No problem!” Isabella showed him thumbs up.

“Nice throw, Isa,” Buford commented.

“Did you catch it on camera?” Isabella grinned.

“Sure did.”

Isabella giggled and Baljeet could swear she blushed. And then, he noticed Ferb, who was still staring at his phone, but he was also extending his arm, giving him thumbs down. Baljeet made a frustrated noise and came closer to Buford.

“What do you think you are doing?” he whispered, making sure Isabella couldn’t hear him.

“Ya mean admiring my friend’s strength?”

“Stop flirting with her,” Baljeet hissed through clenched teeth.

Buford looked down at him before he smirked.

“No,” he answered slowly, before sending him a wide grin.

“Hey, Baljeet!” Phineas called out to him. “Would you help me out with this?”

Baljeet made another frustrated noise before he turned away from Buford and crossed the backyard. Buford then pointed his camera at Isabella, who was just coming his way, with a concerned expression.

“Do you know what got into Baljeet?” she asked discreetly.

“I think I’ve got a pretty good idea,” Buford admitted, before he put a hand next to his mouth to increase the volume of his voice. “Just tell him, ya coward!”

“In hell,” Baljeet repeated quietly, boiling with anger, as he walked past Ferb, who shook his head with displeasure, his eyes still on the phone.

Phineas asked Baljeet about some technical details, and for a while they just worked side by side on the project. But then, Baljeet noticed that Isabella walked away from Buford, returning to the toolbox, and he saw it as his opening.

“So, uh,” Baljeet started. “How are you and Isabella doing? Any plans for romantic dates?”

Phineas started laughing out loud, before he looked at his friend and realized he wasn’t joking.

“Baljeet,” he said patiently, “I will always love Isabella, but we aren’t getting back together.”

“Wh-” Baljeet blinked. “What! But why?”

“Back at Amanda’s birthday, we talked about our differences and we both agreed we just weren’t working romantically. Our personalities clashed too much. But we still wanted to stay best friends-”

“No,” he interrupted him, “no, NO, this is not how things were supposed to go!”

“Baljeet, what are you talking about?” Phineas’ hand was on the control panel, while he was staring at his friend.

“Come on, we can still fix things,” Baljeet rambled, grabbing Phineas’ forearm and pulling.

“Baljeet,” Phineas furrowed his eyebrows, never stopping punching in numbers with his other hand, without looking. “Could you just tell me what’s going on?”

“I…” Baljeet swallowed, staring into his friend’s eyes. He then realized he was holding his forearm, and he released it immediately. “I am sorry.”

Suddenly the machine started making alarming beeping noises, and Phineas finally turned his head to look at the panel.

“Uh-oh,” he voiced.

“Is this a bad sign?” Baljeet asked.

“Yes. Yes, it is. Run, everyone!”

Phineas grabbed his friend’s hand and ran, but he didn’t get far before the light from the portal engulfed them both. Isabella stared with her mouth open as the explosion absorbed Ferb, and she heard a sound of camera hitting the ground, before she saw Buford jumping between her and explosion, shielding her from the blast, and she instinctively grabbed onto him.

And then the light retracted.

And then, there was no one in the backyard.

* * *

Phineas opened his eyes, taking a deep breath. He sat down, trying to understand what just happened.

He was on an empty, concrete road, in the middle of a forest. Baljeet was on the ground next to him - he was trying to get up, glancing away. It seemed like they were here alone.

“Well… this isn’t Venus,” Phineas looked around. “What do you think is this planet?”

“Earth,” Baljeet answered flatly, pointing at the road sign. “It says Seattle is this way.”

Phineas moved past him and walked faster, trying to use his phone to contact the others. He really hoped they also landed somewhere on Earth, safe and sound. He knew it was his fault - the portal malfunctioned because he got distracted; he punched in wrong numbers.

“No bars,” he mumbled, making another couple of steps and suddenly stopping. He took a deep breath and turned on his heel to face Baljeet. “What the heck, man!” Phineas raised his hands in frustration, but he didn’t sound or look angry. Mostly just concerned. “What’s your problem?”

“My problem? It was not me who chose a college solely on my crush’s choice and had a miserable time because of that. Which, by the way, choosing college solely on your crush’s choice? Such a bad idea.”

“Oh, we’re putting petty blame on each other now?” Phineas’ voice was calm. “Okay. You said you were trying to get me and Isabella together. Don’t you think it’s a little weird? Shipping real life people? Especially since those people are your friends?”

“You used the word ‘friend-zone’!” Baljeet bit back. “Only incels use those!”

“Wait a minute…” Phineas started, now remembering that day more clearly. “You were the one who told me that Isabella had a crush on me,” he breathed, realizing that he probably wouldn’t even get into a relationship with Isabella in the first place, if it wasn’t for Baljeet. This entire thing happened because of him, and now he was trying to get them together  _ again _ . Phineas might not have been the best at understanding romance, but he wasn’t stupid. “... What’s going on here, Baljeet? Just… tell me.  _ Please _ .”

Baljeet’s breath deepened, as he realized there was no more running away from his feelings. There was nowhere to hide. He was alone with Phineas on this empty road, and he was confronting him, and waiting for his sincere answer.

Phineas was clueless. He would never figure this out on his own. Baljeet could tell him any excuse and Phineas would buy it because he just wasn’t that complicated in the romance department.

But Baljeet knew that it just wouldn’t be fair. He knew he hurt enough people already. He knew he had to break this cycle now, or it would never end. He knew he had to be honest about this.

It was time to act his age, for real this time. It was time... to behave maturely.

“I fell in love with you,” Baljeet said directly, leaving Phineas with an expression that was both stunned and confused.

“But-”

“I did not want to admit that to myself, because I knew I did not deserve you. I am a snarky bastard who does not deserve good things! I made sure you ended up with Isabella, to make you off-limits. To make it easier on myself to forget about you,” Baljeet shrugged and looked down at his feet. “Did not quite work out.”

“Is that a thing people do?”

“No, it’s just what I do!  _ I manipulate people! _ First Buford, then Ginger, and now...” tears rolled down his cheeks. “I didn’t want to put you through such a  _ trial _ , okay? Imagine- Imagine being me!” he used his sleeve to wipe his face. “Imagine being an immigrant boy. The boy who moved from India to America early in his life, and he had to leave behind most of his family and all of his friends. And then, somehow, he ends up being one of the smartest kids in school, which makes him a perfect target for bullying.”

He had to cover up his face with both of his arms for a moment, taking a deep, shaky breath.

“Miraculously, he gets accepted by a group of friends,” he continued, staring at his feet intensely. “Amazing friends, wonderful people! Attractive too, every single one of them. But the boy still gets bullied by one of the kids, and the rest  _ do not _ defend him. Everyone stands up to the bully when their  _ leader  _ gets threatened, but they act like it’s normal for the bully to embarrass the Indian immigrant boy on a daily basis. You have no idea how lonely and desperate the boy feels. He’s too weak physically, so he can’t stand up to the bully on his own. But... he still has his smarts,” he flashed Phineas a strange grin. “So he learns how to manipulate people, because after a while, it’s the only way to get what he wants, and to save what he has left of his dignity! And now the boy is an adult, just now realizing what he became. Now... he’s the bad guy,” his voice finally cracked.

Baljeet sniffed and fell silent. This was too much for his heart. He knew he shouldn’t, but he was fighting with an urge to run away and hide for some time now, and it seemed like the urge was going to win at last. But as he turned away, trying to escape, Phineas caught his hand, pulling him into a hug.

Baljeet’s hands landed on Phineas’ back, clenching to the fabric of his shirt, as Baljeet buried his head in his friend’s shoulder, shuddering and wailing.

“I’m sorry we never stood up for you,” Phineas said sincerely. “We totally should’ve. We were dumb kids. You’re not a bad guy. You never were. I’m sorry.”

Baljeet’s entire body was shaking. This was supposed to end in an argument and rejection, not  _ this  _ \- this felt way too good. He tried to jerk away at first, but Phineas’s hold was surprisingly firm, and he had no choice but to let it all out. He kept thinking how he didn’t do anything to deserve this, but the day was getting kind of cold, and Phineas was so warm and safe, and Baljeet felt like his knees were about to give out, as he was falling to pieces in his friend’s arms.

_ Guys do not talk about feelings _ , is what he kept telling himself in the past. This is why he never told anyone about any of this, keeping it all in, all this time. And now that the truth was out, he felt weak, vulnerable and exposed. He wept for what it felt like forever, while Phineas rocked him very gently to the sides.

Eventually he started calming down, his crying replaced by shallow hiccups. Phineas’ shoulder was completely wet by all the tears, but he didn’t seem to care. Finally, Baljeet fell completely silent, becoming aware, slowly, of Phineas’ heartbeat. He freed himself gently from the hug.

“Sorry,” he whispered. “We should… probably move along,” he sighed, glancing away and using his sleeve to wipe his face. “We are in the middle of the road, and... Seattle is still far away.”

Phineas slipped his hand into Baljeet’s, but Baljeet jerked his hand away.

“I do not need more of your hospitality,” he said, calmly and quietly, with a sad smile, folding his arms.

“Gosh, Baljeet,” Phineas said with a concerned smile. “Is it really so hard for you to imagine that I might like you back?”

Baljeet’s eyes moved as he studied his friend’s features, very carefully, trying to determine if he was joking or not.

“Good things do not happen to me,” he finally replied, moving past him.

Phineas followed after him, speeding up so he would walk next to Baljeet. They moved along for a while, in silence.

“This morning... I remembered how I helped you build a portal to Mars,” Phineas spoke. “It was what gave me inspiration for today’s one. I remembered how happy you were when we got yours to work back then. You’ve been smiling all night.”

A small wrinkle appeared between Baljeet’s thick eyebrows as he stared at his feet. Phineas didn’t stop talking.

“I remember when I helped you with your date with Mishti. Now looking back at it, I think Isabella might have thought the dinner was for her but, I mean, of course it was for you. I researched how to do it perfectly, because I wanted to make you happy. And at the end of that day, you were. So I was too.”

Baljeet turned his head, slowly, to look at him.

“I remember the Baljeatles concert,” Phineas spoke. “My gosh, you  _ rocked _ that day! And I think the experience left you more self-confident, too.”

“Okay…” Baljeet interrupted him, smiling involuntarily, “So maybe good things happen to me  _ sometimes _ . Mainly… mainly because of you.”

Baljeet looked at his feet as they continued walking. The silence didn’t last long.

“What do you think happened to the others?” Phineas asked conversationally.

“Oh, they probably landed somewhere much further. We were the closest to the portal, and it sent us here, which is admittedly a little far from Danville, but not that far.”

“We’ll try to contact them as soon as I catch some bars. Would you be able to calculate where they might be?”

“Let us see…” Baljeet wondered. “I could try doing so, basing it on the proximate distance between us and the portal, and the others, and adding it to the distance between Seattle and Danville. Of course, I do not have any precise data, but...” he thought for two more seconds. “Ferb was second closest, so he probably landed on the other side of the country. I wager Philadelphia, New York, or Boston. But Buford and Isabella…”

“They were the furthest from the portal.”

“Another continent, no doubt. Europe maybe?”

“Oh, no…” Phineas looked at him, worried, and started walking fastest. “We better hurry. They might need our help getting back.”

They were silent again, but Baljeet couldn’t help but notice that his friend was glancing at him, clearly impressed. After a while their walk returned to normal speed - it was still a long way to go, and they didn’t want to get too tired.

“So, uh…” Phineas glanced to the side. He had no off-switch, but it didn’t annoy Baljeet at all. “What do you like about me, exactly?”

“Ah,” Baljeet breathed. He foolishly hoped Phineas just wouldn’t touch the subject.

“I’m sorry, I guess I’m just curious.”

“Well,” if Baljeet couldn’t escape it, the only thing left was to go along with it, “for starters… Your imagination does not have limits. I am kind of envious of it, actually. You are so innovative and creative, you see the world for what it could be, instead for what it actually is. You encourage me, every day, by showing me how to push the boundaries of what I think is scientifically possible, and when I talk with you, the hours start to feel like minutes, and I feel...” he swallowed. “Complete.”

“What else do you like about me?”

This was good, actually. Phineas seemed only slightly flustered, but it was his drive to learn that was stronger. He genuinely just wanted to know. He expected dry facts. Baljeet suspected that if he didn’t treat romance like a science project, this could have been much more awkward - Baljeet could just speak up his mind openly, with no complicated feelings attached.

“Well,” Baljeet smiled eagerly. “You are calm. As in  _ non-violent _ . You are forgiving and reliable. I know I can always count on you. You always empathize, even if I do something wrong, even if there is no way for you to relate. You point out the best in people. I have never met anyone else like you.”

“I see.”

“And I like your voice.”

“My voice?”

“Yes. I could listen to you talk all day long. You are a fantastic singer, too.”

“Well, gosh, Baljeet. Do I have  _ any  _ bad qualities at all?”

“Yes,” he kept smiling. “You are way too eager to please.”

Phineas slowed down slightly, just for a moment, taking in the information. Did Baljeet just analyze him... or compliment him? Or did he compliment him under the mask of accurate analysis? Because if so, then that was  _ genius _ .

“Thank you,” he finally replied. “That’s, uh… very constructive,” he took a few more steps before he continued. “I think that’s what I like about you. You’re very technical, more down-to-earth than me, more practical and rational. You value fairness and honesty, even at your biggest lows.”

Baljeet looked at him, surprised.

“You’re loyal and committed,” Phineas kept listing. “And do I even have to say you’re smart? Years ago, when we were groundhog-daying, we were only able to save the timeline because of your intelligence and quick thinking. You explained the impossible situation to us so  _ easily _ , you’re so good at it. You’re so structured and dutiful and hard-working. You always do your best. No wonder you graduated so fast and got accepted as the professor already. You totally earned it.”

Baljeet’s smile was grateful, but he didn’t say anything. It was nice to listen to him, saying those things out loud.

“And I have to admit,” Phineas grinned, “there’s something about your vocal pattern and your smile that is hard to ignore. You... probably noticed I’m not that good at reading feelings. But you use contractions whenever you’re really upset. It’s very specific, and it makes it easier for me to read you. And besides that, I just… like talking with you, discussing things with you. You’re a great conversationalist, although sometimes you struggle with admitting when you were wrong. And, uh, you know, I totally forgot you’re bilingual,” he added, changing the subject a little. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you speak in your first language.”

“Oh, I barely use it nowadays,” Baljeet admitted. “I have lived in America longer than in India, and if I am being honest, speaking Hindi feels a little alien now.”

“Could you do it now?”

Baljeet rolled his eyes. He was grateful for somehow avoiding similar questions in his childhood. Saying things in his native language just for other people’s amusement, every day? That would be a nightmare.

“Okay, but this is a one time only,” he finally decided, thinking of what he could say. “I feel awkward about this.”

“Deal,” there was a bit of silence before Phineas opened his mouth again. “Sorry. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable. I’m just curious.”

“I know you are,” Baljeet smiled, feeling a little more confident now, and a little flustered. “Okay, here goes. Main tum se pyaar karta hoon.”

“Cool!” Phineas smiled. “So what does it mean?”

Baljeet looked like he just swallowed a frog.

“I will tell you later,” he finally said, walking faster. “I am… so tired. Plus, we should really hurry up.”

“Okay but… what does it mean?”

“Later!”


	8. Curtain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to say it right now - I don't actually know French, I used google translate. I'm sorry.  
> Without further ado - hope you enjoy this chapter and thank you for reading <3

Isabella opened her eyes. She was on the ground, and Buford, who just got back on his feet, was standing above her, smiling and offering a hand.

“I dunno ‘bout ya, but to me Venus looks awfully similar to Paris,” he joked, and she realized they landed precisely underneath Eiffel Tower.

Isabella accepted his help, extending her limb. His hand locked further down her arm, and she grasped at his arm, sucking in her lips at the feeling of the muscle underneath her fingers. He put his other arm behind her back and lifted her to her feet easily.

“Now what,” he said, looking around with his hands on his hips.

Isabella took a deep breath, only now realizing it was the middle of the night here - or at least very late evening.

“Okay, well, first of all… let’s not panic,” she said, trying to keep her head. “Phineas and Ferb will find a way to bring us back to Danville, we just need to contact them, and give them some time.”

“Makes sense to me.”

“Second of all… It’s the middle of the night, so strategically, it would be a good idea to go to sleep for those few hours, waiting for the help to arrive. That would allow us to worry about food only in the morning... How much money do you have?”

Buford searched his pockets, and Isabella realized she had her wallet in her pocket. Buford couldn’t help but notice that Phineas’ photo wasn’t in it anymore, but he didn’t comment on it.

“Alright,” Isabella said, “so now we know that we  _ definitely  _ wouldn’t be able to come back home on our own, but I think we have at least enough cash for one night in a cheap hotel room, and for some food in the morning. Let me contact Phineas and Ferb,” she pulled out her phone.

Not wanting to waste money on international coverage, she opened chat on one of the social media websites, texting the boys about the situation.

“Isabella and Buford here. We landed in Paris with little to no money, and we need someone to pick us up.”

She waited for an answer only for a moment.

“Ferb here. Landed in New York. It'll take me a while to return home, but I’m perfectly capable of doing that on my own.”

“Phineas and Baljeet here. We’re in Seattle, looks like we’ll reach home first. We’ll start working on something to bring you guys back as soon as possible. Ferb, are you sure you don’t need help?”

“I’m positive Isabella and Buford need it more.”

“Okay,” Isabella said out loud, hiding the phone. “They know where we are and they know we need help.”

“Awesome. How much time do ya think we’re gonna have to spend here?”

“Well… Knowing Phineas, he should be able to find a way to pick us up in less than twenty-four hours. We can survive that long on our own, right?”

“Guess so,” Buford started walking in a seemingly random direction he just chose.

“H- Hey, wait! Do you even know where you’re going?”

“Actually… Yes,” he looked at her over his shoulder with a smile. “Yes, I do. You’re comin’ with me or not?”

Isabella raised her eyebrows and followed after him.

* * *

They entered the building of what it looked like a more private kind of hotel, not that far from Eiffel Tower. The interior design was nice, but nothing too fancy. The guy behind the reception counter was reading a magazine, but he looked at them kindly as they entered.

“Now for the difficult part,” Isabella sighed. “Do you think he knows English?”

“He doesn’t have to. Just leave it to me, ‘kay?... I just hope my French ain’t too rusty,” Buford said, already closing the space between him and the reception counter. “Excusez-moi mon bon monsieur…”

Isabella stared at her friend, speaking French fast, with an utmost confidence. She couldn’t understand a word, but there was something about the sight that wouldn’t let her look away.

The conversation was starting to get longer than expected, as Buford was now arguing with the receptionist. The Frenchman pointed at Isabella, asking about something.

“... Mademoiselle?” Buford sputtered, suddenly turning to glance at Isabella, then back at the guy behind the counter. “N-non! Non, ce n'est pas ma copine!” he raised his voice, looking flustered.

“Pas pour longtemps,” answered the Frenchman with a slightly amused expression.

Buford opened his eyes wide and took a deep breath, staring into the nothingness. After that, he got back to the argument. It went on for a while, before Buford finally received the key to the hotel room, looking a little defeated. He returned to Isabella, avoiding her gaze.

“Alright, I have both good and bad news,” he said. “The good news is that we had enough money to get us a room for one night. The bad news is that there’s only one bed. Now I know what you’re thinkin’ and you’re right - everythin’ in Paris is so bloody overpriced! I told them about our difficult situation, but they said they wouldn’t make an exception, so we gotta deal with that. Don’t look at me like that,” he kept going, despite the fact that Isabella’s face stayed expressionless for this entire time he was talking. “It’s only for one night anyway, and it’s the best we could afford. So I took it! It’s fine. It’s fine! Two friends can share a bed for one night!” he kept going, looking as if he was trying to convince himself, not Isabella.

She kept staring at him with her mouth slightly open. He glared down at her, getting more frustrated with every second.

“What! Don’t you wanna sleep in a bed tonight? If this situation’s too uncomfortable for ya, we’ll put a curtain between us or somethin’! Yeesh!” he spread his arms in irritation. He was clearly freaking out a little. “... Say somethin’, Isa! Say  _ anythin’ _ !”

“I, um…” Isabella spoke quietly, “didn’t know you’re fluent in French.”

“Ooh, I see what it is about,” he nodded. “Every time Buford does something smart or useful, it’s a big surprise! Buford is that big and kinda dumb one! It’s so funny when he does something that proves he has interests and feelings! But we still won’t acknowledge the things he’s good at, because that would ruin the joke! Is that whatcha thinkin’?”

“No, I just… Um…” she glanced down at their feet, clearing her throat. “I guess I like it when you speak French. It’s attractive.”

Buford’s arms dropped.

“Oh,” he voiced flatly.

In the next second, he turned on his heel and walked away quickly, not waiting for Isabella to catch up. She shuffled her feet, following him to their room, reluctantly.

He left the door to their room open, so she found him easily. As she entered, Buford was already doing something that included tying a spare bed sheet to the upper frame of the four-poster bed. She closed the door to their room without a hurry and entered the bathroom.

After she re-entered, Buford had already hung a spare blanket over the sheet, creating an improvised curtain.

“Now the bed’s divided in half, problem solved,” Buford said, quickly walking by her, not looking at her, and hiding in the bathroom.

Isabella sat on her side of the bed and crossed her arms, regretting her previous comment. She didn’t want to make things awkward between them.

After he re-entered, he kept avoiding eye contact, walking quickly around the bed, to hide behind the improvised curtain and take off his clothes. Isabella could feel the bed shift under his weight as he put his head on the pillow.

“‘Night,” he said.

“I uh… I don’t have any pajamas,” she swallowed, just realizing her problem.

“So? I’m just gonna sleep in my boxers-”

“Sleeping in a bra isn’t comfortable and I am  _ not  _ sleeping topless,” she said, her tone annoyed now.

Buford fell silent on the other side of the curtain. She let out a sigh and started getting rid of her shoes. It looked like she was going to have to sleep in her clothes - she was worried about her blouse chafing too much during sleep, but hey, it was just for one night. She had to get through this.

She was in the middle of taking the bra off under her blouse, when she heard shuffling, as Buford shifted on his side of the bed.

“You could, uh,” he cleared his throat. “You could sleep in this. Maybe? I dunno.”

He stuck his hand under the curtain, handing her a piece of clothing that she recognized as his red t-shirt. After three seconds of thinking it through, she took it without a word.

She got rid of all her clothes quickly, save for her underwear, and put on the t-shirt. It was way too big for her - it felt like she was wearing a tent, but it also smelled like Buford and it was just...  _ so  _ comfortable.

“Thank you, Ford,” she said, switching the bedside lamp off, making the room dark, and putting her head down on the pillow.

On the other side of the curtain, Buford was having a crisis.

First, his mind conjured an image of Isabella wearing just her bra, immediately followed by an image of her being topless. But now he had to deal with the fact that Isabella was  _ actually  _ wearing his t-shirt, at this very moment, and she was right there next to him, but he couldn’t even look at her because of this stupid curtain he put up by himself. How was he supposed to know she would even take it! What was he thinking! Oh, and the new nickname she gave him? It made his body ache for any sort of physical contact. He wanted her to say it again; he wanted her to call him that forever. He was in deep trouble.

The truth was that he truly believed that friends could share a bed, platonically. The problem was that he already liked Isabella much more than that.

And now he was trying to convince himself she felt this way too. Calling him attractive back there sure was a shocker, but what if that was just a one-time thought? But what if it wasn’t, and he was now making a fool of himself by acting like an idiot?

Could anyone blame him, though? It was one thing to hang out with a friend, to joke around, to act all confident and mask flirting behind friendly teasing. But the sheer thought that she might actually like him back was  _ wild _ . They knew each other for years, she never thought of him this way back then, so she wouldn’t just start now, right? There was no way.

But would she accept his t-shirt otherwise? She didn’t even look slightly uncomfortable at the thought of sharing a bed with him. Was she just being friendly or was it something more? What if she was too shy to go further? What if she was waiting for him to make a move?

He didn’t know answers to any of those questions and there was only one way to find out.

He was screwed either way.

Buford bit his lip before taking a deep breath. This was a huge risk he was taking, and he wondered if she’d realize that too.

“Isabella?” he whispered into the darkness of the room, worried that she was asleep already. But then he heard her shift and hum quietly, letting him know she was listening. “Um… In the morning I could…” he sighed, “show ya around the city. I know Paris well so I know a few places worth sight-seein’, and, um… For the breakfast part I’d take ya somewhere fancy but I guess we’re on a budget so I’m gonna have to think of somethin’ else.”

She was quiet for a second, but then he felt the bed shift under her weight as she moved to switch the light back on. She then grabbed the edge of the curtain and moved it, delicately, to peek at him. He could now see her too, and couldn’t help but stare at her shoulder, hidden underneath the fabric of his t-shirt. He had to gather all his willpower to fight off the urge of winding his arm around her waist and pulling her closer. He wanted to touch her so badly.

Isabella had so many questions, and it made her mad that she had to settle for one at the time.

“How do you know Paris so well?” she asked.

“Oh, I just,” he propped himself on his elbows, to get into a sitting position, “travelled here when I was a kid and fell helplessly in love. With the city, I mean. I completely lost myself in all its beauty, and before I knew it, I also learnt French language, because it honestly wasn’t that hard. Guess there’s not much reason to ever bring it up, so I never did. Only Baljeet knew.”

“Hm. You two always seemed so close,” Isabella altered her position into a more comfortable one as well. “Why did you break up with him? I don’t think any of us fully understood what happened back in high school.”

“Oh, t’wasn’t me,” Buford seemed kind of embarrassed. “It was him who initiated the break-up.”

“ _ He _ broke up with you?” Isabella’s eyes widened.

“Guess I never told ya. Thought you’d laugh,” he admitted.

“Phineas was the one who broke up with me,” she confessed almost immediately.

“... Oh.”

“Why did Baljeet break up with you?”

“Eh, I’m not surprised he did,” he shrugged. “I was an asshole,” he said, and realized that she was waiting for him to clarify his statement. “Isabella, I dunno if ya remember, but I was a  _ bully _ . I’d bully Phineas, but only sometimes since I was kinda afraid of Ferb - he stood up to me once, defeatin’ me easily with one pinch, so of course I was - and you, well, let’s be honest, you could always take care of yourself. But Baljeet was a whole different story.”

Buford folded his arms, his face displeased, before he continued.

“He was a helpless nerd, he was different from the others. A perfect punchin’ bag for a kid with issues, like me. But then it got more complex than that. When I felt frustrated with what was goin’ on back home, there would be lots of punchin’, pushin’, lots of humiliation. When I felt sad or alone, I’d still humiliate him, but also keep him closer. I guess I started caring ‘bout the guy, and at some point, we even started callin’ each other ‘frienemies’. Havin’ someone I could either torture or care for, depending on my mood, was great… until it wasn’t. I think I really... I really messed him up,” Buford’s voice broke for a second, but he didn’t start crying - the emotion was real, but he already cried all the tears he had during therapy sessions. He swallowed and continued. “Ya know, after a while I think he started believin’ he somehow deserved it. He was stuck with me, whether he liked it or not. He’d often say ‘no’, and I wouldn’t listen.”

He hid his face in his hands for a moment.

“You were just a kid, too,” Isabella spoke. “You didn’t know better. And whatever was happening in your house back then, it wasn’t your fault.”

“Maybe, but that doesn’t  _ excuse  _ my behavior,” he looked at her, grimacing. “Sometimes I’m terrified of what could become of me, if it wasn’t for my friendship with ya, and with Phineas and Ferb. And then I look at how Baljeet changed under my influence, and I feel  _ sick  _ with myself,” anger replaced his sorrow, before he took a deep breath to calm himself down. “Someone messed up me, I messed up Baljeet, Baljeet messed up more people - it’s a cycle. My therapist told me I can’t blame myself for every single thing my bullyin’ might have caused. But I feel so ashamed. What I did as a kid felt so small and irrelevant back then, but now…”

“... You feel like you caused a tornado.”

“Pretty much, yeah. I told Baljeet to see a therapist, multiple times, but… I think t’was a mistake. Now he won’t do it, just to spite me. He loves to blame me for things, and often I... find it hard to disagree with him. Some of the stuff he told me, I’ll never forget. So when he broke up with me in high school (which was the second time that happened, by the way), I thought to myself… ‘We have to stop...’,” his voice was so quiet. “And the  _ worst  _ part was, that after a while... he came back,” he swallowed. “But we never got back together. I didn’t want to. And you gotta trust me when I say that I think we’re both happier because of that, I really am happier. We have a much better and healthier relationship as just friends, ya see.”

He took a deep breath.

“We’re polar opposites. Yeah, we cared for each other, but our personalities clashed too much, there was no balance. When t’was good, it was good, but when t’was bad, it was… SO bad. It was unpredictable, volatile, completely dependin’ on our moods. Abusive...” Buford’s eyebrows were furrowed as he set his jaw. “The bottom line is - we were very bad for each other. We’re on friendly terms now, but there ain’t forgettin’ ‘bout what happened. Sometimes I get the feelin’ that he’d like to return to that mess, but he deserves better than the constant reminder of what I did to him in the past, even if he doesn’t know it yet. And I deserve better than him, too.”

Isabella thought of her failed relationship with Phineas. Perhaps not everyone could just click together, no matter how big of friends they were. But perhaps it wasn’t the end of the world.

She couldn’t help but relate to Buford somewhat. It seemed like she wasn’t the only one obsessed with thoughts about the past, of what could have been if they’ve done things differently. But looking at them now, if she had a chance to change the past - would she? Wouldn’t that delete their personal development? Wouldn’t she miss her visits in the studio? Wouldn’t she miss… him?

Isabella wanted to put her arms around Buford’s neck and hug him; she wanted to cuddle with him so badly, but that would mean crossing onto his part of the bed, and since he put up the curtain to separate them, she wasn’t sure if he’d want that. She moved her fingers, hesitating, before she settled on putting her hand on his shoulder. He seemed surprised by her touch.

“You’re not that person anymore,” she said.

“It’s nice of ya to say that, Isabella, but I ain’t entirely convinced,” he sent her a sad smile. “I still enjoy causin’ problems on purpose.”

He put his hand on hers, just to feel her warmth. He was afraid she’d hate him after that entire confession, but she was nothing but supportive. It was just like when they were kids, and she asked him if he was sweating through his eyes. This girl knew when was the right time to call him out, and when was the right time to empathize, and goddamnit, she was a real treasure, and she deserved the entire world, and he loved her so much.

_ So much. _

He didn’t know if it was just Paris taking over him again, or was it his regular softer side, but he couldn’t help but think of all the things he’d do for her, if she just asked. If she wanted flowers, he’d get them for her, it wouldn't be a problem. If she wanted a romantic breakfast, she’d get it, obviously. Would she prefer him rough or gentle - he could do both. Perhaps she’d settle for simply confident, but let’s be honest, that wouldn’t be a challenge.

He wondered if she realized that he liked her for who she was. She never put out a show for him, so he knew the real her, all her strengths and weaknesses included, and he loved absolutely everything about her - all her competitiveness, all her helpfulness, all her temper tantrums, all her cuteness,  _ everything _ .

Buford seemed to be lost in thoughts. Isabella soon withdrew her hand, but he could still feel the touch lingering on his skin.

“You did change a lot in those last few years,” she said. “Physically as well,” she wondered if it was caused by his desire for self-development. He really wanted to stop resembling the person he once was. “Your hair is so long now.”

“Yeah, I can put it in a man bun,” he grinned, glad that she changed the subject. “Do ya like it?”

“I do. I remember you having freckles back when we were kids. No, wait…” she leaned forward, squinting her eyes a little. “You still have them. I can barely see them when I’m up close, but they’re there.”

Her chin was right next to his shoulder, as she gave him an adorable little smile. She was so close. They were looking at each other for a moment that felt like forever, their eyes wandering around their features.

“You know, I don’t know if I like Paris all that much,” Isabella confessed. “Personally, it just reminds me of… disappointment.”

“I’ll see what I can do to change that,” he replied with a smile. “Tomorrow will be great, you’ll see.”

Isabella watched him for another second before she slowly moved away, putting the blanket back where it was, hiding behind it.

Suddenly, the improvised curtain fell off, revealing Isabella and Buford to each other. They stared, surprised, into each other’s eyes, just for a second, before they broke eye contact and started snickering at the situation.

“I’m sorry,” Isabella smiled, sitting up.

“Phineas would probably construct it better,” Buford muttered at the same time.

“I’ll fix it-” Isabella was already on her knees, raising the blanket up.

“No, no, lemme-” Buford also got on his knees, putting his hands on Isabella’s.

“No, I messed it up, let me fix it.”

“I’m taller, I’ll do it.”

Their eyes met, as they both realized the only thing between them was the blanket they were both holding onto. Isabella’s lips parted and moved as she tried to voice a thought.

“We don’t- we don’t need it,” she mumbled, releasing a breath she didn’t know she was holding.

Without breaking eye contact, Buford snatched the blanket and threw it aside on the floor.

They were both still on their knees, their bodies inches apart but not quite touching.

Isabella drowning in his t-shirt was a sight Buford knew wouldn’t forget anytime soon. It was obviously oversized for her, so it looked like a short nightgown. Her thick black hair was falling on her shoulders. She was stunning.

Isabella realized that, strategically speaking, she couldn’t be the one to push things further. He was indeed taller, and she just wouldn’t be able to reach his face. He would have to be the one to make the first move.

But he didn’t.

Because he knew that Isabella still had to decide whether she wanted to move on or not, and it wasn’t his decision to make. And she knew this perfectly well, too.

Few months ago, Isabella wouldn’t even tell Phineas about her crush on him - she would just say goodbye and leave for Tri-State State. And was that really surprising? If she never found the courage to tell him, for about ten years, why would she tell him back then? And Phineas had to bring up  _ Baljeet  _ first, for that conversation to even begin.

She never got that emotional bravery patch. It would probably take a zombie apocalypse for her to finally voice her feelings at the very last moment - and that would be desperation, not bravery, so it clearly wouldn’t count.

“... Ford?”

“... Yeah?”

“You asked me once,” she said, “is there anything I can’t do.”

Buford didn’t answer, looking at her with his eyes lidded. He moved his finger up Isabella’s arm, slowly. His touch sent shivers down her spine. But he was clearly listening, so she kept going.

“Well… I’ve never been very good at voicing my feelings… or saying out loud what I want or what I need…”

“What is it that ya want?” Buford asked, trying to make it easier on her.

“I want you to kiss me,” she breathed, as he used both of his hands to cup her round face.

“Ya got it,” he whispered with a smile, leaning down and kissing her.

His mouth was hot and soft, and her lips were delicate and a little shaky. Her hands touched his belly and moved upwards to his chest and shoulders, giving him shivers, before they stopped at the back of his head, tangled in his hair. He moved his hands downwards, clasping her sides and pulling her closer, their bodies making contact at last. His t-shirt, hanging over her body, was rumpling under his palm as he followed the delicate bend of her back, and her heart exploded. Only then Isabella fully realized the situation she found herself in.

She was in Paris - city of love - in a hotel room, on a couple-sized bed, kissed sensually by her best friend, and wearing his t-shirt. Isabella was practically melting in his big strong arms.

“Alors tu aimes quand je parle français?” he muttered against her lips, and she didn’t know what he said, but the sound of his low, raspy voice alone was enough to drive her crazy.

She pried her tongue at his mouth and teeth, intensifying the kiss. He hummed with both praise and surprise, as she pulled him with her, falling down on the bed sheet.

Buford would later break the kiss again, but only for a second that time, to grab some air. Isabella was a hot mess underneath him, and his heart was racing already, but only in that moment he’d be certain - she was going to be the death of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You see, I thought of the nickname for Buford because he has nicknames for everyone but he doesn't really have one himself. And I thought he'd love it, because Buford was a bully but Ford is not.


	9. Overture

Phineas and Baljeet were in the backyard, building a flying vehicle, similar to the one they constructed when they were going around the world, when they were kids. This time Phineas was making a good use of Baljeet’s precise calculations, to make sure the machine wouldn’t fall apart on their way to Paris.

Phineas suppressed a yawn. He actually took a nap on their way home, but he supposed it wasn’t enough.

His memories wandered back to their trip - travelling from Seattle to Danville by bus didn’t take long, and they both managed to fall asleep for a while before they reached their destination. Baljeet’s nap lasted longer, though - his head landed on Phineas’ shoulder, waking Phineas as the result.

Phineas decided not to wake him, until they reached Danville. He was looking outside the window, thinking about everything that Baljeet told him. His black curls were tickling Phineas’ neck but he didn’t mind. Later, he wasn’t sure if Baljeet even knew he slept on his shoulder, because he never acknowledged it once he woke up.

When they got back to Danville, it was late evening. Perry was sleeping on the couch, and the portal to Venus was nowhere to be found, as expected. Phineas and Baljeet didn’t waste time to wonder where it went - they immediately started working on the vehicle to bring their friends back. And while doing so, they were constantly peeking at each other, when they thought the other one wasn’t looking.

Phineas chuckled and Baljeet glanced at him once more.

“We grew into weird adults,” Phineas said to himself.

“I do not mind,” Baljeet answered and he turned to look at him. Baljeet stared at him nervously, but then Phineas smiled and came closer.

“Listen, I… I’m clueless when it comes to romance,” he admitted.

“I am perfectly aware. I never expected you to be.”

“I don’t want you to be disappointed.”

Baljeet stared at him quizzically.

“... Disappointed with what?”

“Oh, you know…” Phineas shrugged. This was getting awkward. For such geniuses, it seemed like they were both cursed with enormous dumbass energy. “With me being bad at romance?”

“Why would I be disappointed?”

“Because… I’m… Uh… Boy, this day has been confusing. I guess… I guess I’d like to ask you out. And… I’d hate to see you disappointed that I couldn’t meet your expectations. But… I still want to make it work, you see. I really do.”

Baljeet chuckled and shook his head.

“Phineas, do you remember the ‘too eager to please’ thing? I told you I do not need more of your hospitality.”

Phineas stared at him blankly.

“Boy, you still don’t believe I like you back, huh?” he asked.

“I-”

Phineas cupped Baljeet’s face in his hands, quickly leaned in, and kissed him hard. It was short, but Phineas really wanted Baljeet to get the message already. He pulled back, probably wanting to say something, but Baljeet, who stared at him with his eyes wide-open, didn’t let him - he cupped the back of his neck, immediately pulling Phineas in for another kiss.

Phineas’ hands wandered on Baljeet’s back, content to let him take the initiative. Baljeet was enthusiastic, moving his lips to open Phineas’ mouth, but he was also a little tense, a little bit desperate in his arms, and it made Phineas’ head spin. He raised his eyebrows, realizing that Baljeet made a step forward, and then another, forcing him to go backwards. They took a few more steps before Phineas’ back collided with a tree. Baljeet took Phineas’ hands, putting them on both sides of Phineas’ head, pinning him to the bark. Their kiss lasted for another moment, before Baljeet finally broke it.

“Sorry,” muttered. “Always wanted to do that.”

“Was it worth the wait?” Phineas grinned, panting.

“Absolutely.”

“Do you want to stop?”

“Do you?”

Phineas took his hand and led him behind the tree, where they would have even more privacy. They sat there on the grass, Baljeet on Phineas’ lap, their noses touching.

“Look,” Baljeet breathed heavily. “For this to work, I have to see the therapist first. I am still a mess and I do not want to hurt you by accident. You deserve a much better me.”

Phineas shook his head.

“Don’t go to therapy for me. Do it for yourself.”

Baljeet opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again.

“You are right,” he finally admitted. “I do want to do it for myself too, if I am being honest. I think I really need it.”

“I’m here for you, if you’d ever need me. Plus, I might go to therapy as well,” Phineas shrugged. “There’s some stuff I need to work out myself. Being too eager to please is one example.”

“Are you going to do it for me or for yourself?”

“For myself,” Phineas answered.

“Are you going to change schools to be closer to me, though?” Baljeet asked.

“Nah. Changing schools just to be closer to my crush? Probably a bad idea.”

“All correct answers. You are so smart.”

They kissed, slower this time, more thoroughly. Baljeet put his arms around Phineas’ neck, smiling while kissing him, feeling satisfied and safe. Phineas sensed something tickling him again, realizing the sensation was caused by the subtle stubble on Baljeet’s chin, and it made his head spin once more. He couldn’t help but imagine how cozy Baljeet would look with a full beard, wearing a sweater. He wanted to go to his apartment again, sit with him on his couch in his book-filled living room, drink cappuccino and talk about physics. His hands slipped underneath Baljeet’s shirt, wandering on the skin on his back, and Baljeet let out a soft moan at the feeling.

“We should probably finish the project,” Phineas murmured, breaking the kiss. “Isabella and Buford are still stuck in Paris.”

Baljeet kept his eyes closed and his lips parted.

“I am sure they are having fun,” he whispered.

In the next few hours they would finish building the vehicle, and they would find Isabella, Buford, and Ferb, and they would all return home safely, and everything would end well.

And then, the summer would go on. They would build more things, hang out on the beach, watch movies, attend concerts, go to space (again). Ferb would joke about how Phineas and Buford just switched dance partners when he wasn’t looking. He would also give the rest of the gang some tips on how to keep in touch in long-distance relationships, since apparently this is what they were all going to do now starting next school year, and he had a lot of practice, so he didn’t mind helping out.

But in this very moment, Phineas looked at Baljeet’s face, leaned in, and their kiss continued.

And honestly, it was all that mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so so much for reading, it means a lot to me <3  
> My twitter: twitter.com/daWhiteBAG  
> If you like what I do, consider buying me a coffee: ko-fi.com/whitebag


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